The Colorado Rapids on Thursday signed defender/ midfielder Danny Earls and defender Oscar Mur- illo, who will join the team at the preseason training camp in Commerce City.

Earls and Murillo will be added to the Rapids’ roster as soon as the club receives their international transfer certificates.

Earls, 20, from Dublin, spent the last two seasons with the United Soccer League-1 Rochester Rhinos. He was on the reserve squad from 2005-08 for Aston Villa of the English Premier League and has also played for Irish junior national teams.

Murillo, 21, played the past two seasons with Deportes Quindío of Colombia’s top professional league, and has also played for Argentina’s famed Boca Juniors and Colombian junior national teams.

Five Coloradans join DU women’s soccer.

University of Denver women’s soccer coach Jeff Hooker signed nine players to national letters of intent, including five from Colorado.

Jessy Battelli was an all-state midfielder at D’Evelyn High School. Two players from Golden High School committed: Nicholette DiGiacomo, a first-team all- stater as a sophomore and a second-teamer as a junior, and Shannen Johnson, a second-team all-conference selection. Columbine’s Kristen Hamilton scored 18 goals her senior year and led her club team to four consecutive state titles. Cassidy Larson holds the single-season and career assists records at Fairview H.S.

Stroup, Dowling among NLL finalists.

Former Colorado Mammoth player Dan Stroup is one of six finalists for the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. Stroup played two of his 13 NLL seasons for the Mammoth, in 2005 and the 2006 championship year. He scored 54 goals in his two seasons with Colorado, and four in three playoff games in ’06.

Ted Dowling, who played for the Mammoth in 2003, was also nominated. Dowling played 14 seasons in the NLL, winning championships with Buffalo in 1996 and Calgary in 2004. The three finalists who receive the most votes will go into the Hall. Stroup is currently an assistant coach with the Washington Stealth.

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